Manjit Singh Wins Gold in 800m, Jinson Bags Silver at Asiad

Manjit ran his personal best time of 1 minute and 46.15 seconds to win his maiden major international medal.

Manjit Singh (centre) stands with silver medalist and compatriot India’s Jinson Johnson (left) and bronze medalist Qatar’s Abubaker Abdalla on the podium at the 18th Asian Games on Tuesday. 

(Photo: AP)

• Manjit Singh bags gold in men’s 800m with a timing of 1:46.15 minutes.
  
• Pre-race favourite Jinson Johnson from India won silver after he finished second with a timing of 1:46.35 minutes.
• Abdalla Abubaker of Qatar was third with a timing of 1:46.38 minutes.
• With this win, Manjit Singh won his maiden major international medal.
  

Manjit Singh upstaged pre-race favourite compatriot Jinson Johnson to win gold in men's 800m in as India finished first and second in the event on Tuesday.

(Photo: Asian Games)

The 28-year-old Manjit recorded his personal best time of 1 minute and 46.15 seconds to win his maiden major international medal.

Johnson, who smashed legendary Sriram Singh's 42-year-old 800m national record in June during the National Inter-State Athletics Championships, finished second in 1:46.35. He holds the national record of 1:45.65.

Abdalla Abubaker of Qatar was third in 1:46.38.

(For The Quint’s complete coverage of 2018 Asian Games, click here.)

Manjit was not a much-talked about medal prospect in the build-up to the Games but he brought home the third track and field gold for India after shot putter Tejinderpal Singh Toor and javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's heroics.

It was India's only second one-two at the Asian Games as Ranjit Singh and Kulwant Singh had won a gold and a silver at the inaugural edition in New Delhi in 1951.

Manjit's gold was also the first after Charles Borromeo's feat in the 1982 Asian Games.

Coached by Indian Army's Amreesh Kumar, the jobless Manjit had set his previous best mark of 1:46.24 in Guwahati during the National Inter-State Championships.

I was very hopeful. I had prepared accordingly. I never thought of bettering the national mark. I just wanted to give my best. I had strategised to follow runners initially and then push towards the last 100-150m. I did it and won gold for my country.

Manjit Singh

(With inputs from PTI)